The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-04-28
ANECDOTES OF GRANT.

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ANECDOTES OF GRANT.
Gen. Grant" said Captain f. n. X.
Talcott, Of Chicago. TO me the other
day. in speaking of the military expert
ence which brought him in contact with
the great commander, ..had the best
memory, was the most level-headed and
quiet. and the ablcst man | ever met
During the close Of the operations about
Richmond Captain Talcott was in
charge Of the engineer depot nj the
Bermuda Hundreds, from which the
wants Of the great wise which
was slowly closed upon Lee by Grant
were supplied, and his position brought
him in constant contact both with head
quarters and the General. Like every
other man whom have ever met who
had come in contact with General Grant
in action, he was most impressed with
the extraordinarily quick perception
with which he siezed every incident.
while Twas on General Fosters staff
said Captain Talcott, General Grant
once came to our line with his stan, and
we all stood on little knoll opposite
which was Confederate battery the
number Of whose guns General Grant
wanted to find out, in order to learn
what it would cost TO take it. Instead
Of leaving staff officer to count the
flashes of the guns, as almost any other
man would have done. he stood on the
knoll and began watching them. Of
course as soon as he stepped there Gen.
eral Foster went there. General Grants
personal staff followed him and General
Fosters personal staff stepped up along
side of their commander.
This made the prct!iest mark you ey-
er saw. We were near enough for the
battery 10 see that to see that we were OFF,
GERS. 1t was large group of officers
and while the shells were going over
Grants head when he stepped there,
it was not very long before they began
to get the range and pretty soon shell
struck the ground and threw sand all
through us. BY this time Rawlins, who
was always anxious over his chief said:
General, this is too exposed position
for you to stand in We'll, said Grant,
without taking his cigar out Of his
teeth, or turning his head. as he watched
the flashes, if you don't like it. you
had better get down under this knoll"
General Rawllns did not move, and ar
other shell reminded everybody that the
battery was getting the range very
closely. You gentlemen, said Grant,
again without turning, have nothing TO
do up here. and guess you had better
get under cover at once And, watt
ing moment longer. until he had set
tied the number of the battery to his
satisfaction, General Grant went back
alone to the shelter of the knoll.
AT another time" continued Cap
tain Talcott, lin the closing operations
around Petersburg. it happened that |
was with the Tenth Corps, General
Tcrry's, which was in action with its
right resting on General Hancock's.
the Second. Between the two ran
deep rayine, at the head Of which was
a Confederate battery, and, as the fire
of the battery commanded the rayine
the entire length, it had not been con-
sidered possible for the troops to stand
in the bottom of the ravine under fire.
General Grant rode up and said to
General Terry: What does this mean?
Why aren't these lines connected?
They will sweep right in here and turn
you right andleft.' General Terry eS-
planned the circumstances at some
length, but General Grant, who had
been watching the ravine. interrupted
him TO say: What troops you got
here?' The Tooth New York, said
General Terry, Colonel Dandy's regi-
ment' Send him here. said General
Grant.
Now Dandy was West Pointer anda
whooper. He rode up and salutcd, as
General Grant said, i want you to take a
regiment down'and connectthesc lines in
rayine.' Colonel Dandy saluted again,
with Certainly, SIR formed his regi-
ment as if he was going out on dress
parade. colors in the centre. and swung
down into the ravine under the fire of
the battery, and when the work was
over rode back with another salute,
The lines are connected, sir!' How
many men did you lose?, asked General
Grant. None, sir, said Colonel Dandy.
i thought So, replied General Grant.
And then everyone saw what General
Grant had seen rs soon as he rode up
and looked over the ficld-the twigs
which were falling from the trees under
the fire Of shot and shell from the Con-
federatc battery only came from the
top branches. The battery was firing
over the ravine, and the men once
marched into its bed were rs save there
rs anywhere in the line"